MI: Code Willow (part 4)
by Cilia
Summary: Willow and Elisabeth play tourist and Faith and Rupert have a talk about romance in the ranks. (Version One, typos will be fixed later on)


**Mission Impossible: Code Willow (part 4)**

**Written by Cilia**

…  
Location: Vatican Library  
Time: 15:00 Local

The city and everything in it, including the Vatican Library, wasn't a new place to Elisabeth. Who had spent considerable time here during and research stint not so long ago.

"According to the maps there is supposed to be a entrance into the lower levels around here," Willow said as she tapped her foot on the marble floor.

"You know I could get us in without all this secrecy?" Elisabeth asked evidently not liking having to play the tourist.

"But then people would know that we've been down there and we don't want that," Willow countered. Elisabeth sighed.

"Secret Agents," she muttered to herself. Willow looked up at the blond Professor and smiled.

"Come here," she said as she reached out with her hand.

After looking at the offered hand for a while Elisabeth gently reached out and took it.Willow smiled pleasantly as she lead the Professor through the library and then under one of it's arches into a closed off section, once she was sure they were out of sight she let go off her hand.

"Now you listen up and listen up good," she started as she took a step closer to the blond. "We're sitting on a potential powder keg here. Now we know they must have somebody on the inside, so if you go waltzing in flashing that million watt smile of yours they will most likely find out that we're onto them," Willow explained.

"It would be easier then breaking into the Vatican Library, breaking up the floor which is marble and in itself a work of art and then having to blast the into the sewers system to get out with the Ark since we're not sneaking it back up through the library entrance," Elisabeth explained, baring down on the agent.

"Look I know you volunteered for this, but don't forget I'm in charge," Willow retorted.

"I was forced into this fiasco," Elisabeth countered. "Or have you forgotten?"

"Hey it's not my fault you snuck those artifacts out of China without permission," Willow exclaimed.

"First of all…" Elisabeth started, but stopped when she spotted a security guard who was watching their fight.

Sorry we got lost Willow said in Italian as she backed away from Elisabeth and took her hand.  
"So what's the plan?" Elisabeth asked with a sigh.

"Come here," Willow said as she drew the professor in closer and started to whisper in her ear. "We sneak in through the roof," she said and tilted her head up."There's a ventilation grate above the entrance room…" she paused "…and smile like I'm whispering something sweet and meaningless into your ear," she added and Elisabeth produced an ecstatic smile. "We'll have to crawl up but the ducts are old and therefore wide and sturdy" she explained further and sneaked an arm around the Professor's waist."Then, like you said, there's a sewage tunnel running parallel to one of the catacomb tunnels, but to solve that problem we have Faith. So we blast that open and then sail down the sewer into the outtake," she finished.

"Why don't we just go in there? Through the sewer I mean" Elisabeth asked, but making no objections to the agent nuzzling against her side.

"Cause the blasting would alert everybody and their grandmother that something is up, but if we do it on the way out…"  
"It will hide our exit and add to the confusion," Elisabeth finished with a grin, but when an elderly couple smiled at them as they past she stiffened.

"Don't tell me you are embarrassed?" Willow asked.

"No… just uncomfortable," Elisabeth answered as she extracted herself from the red heads hold.

…  
Location: Rome safehouse  
Time: 18:00 Local

Faith was getting stir crazy and spending the day cooped up with William didn't help either. Although he had taken to the roof to catch up in his reading in the afternoon sun, it wasn't any better since it left her alone with the gentleman spy who was apparently used to long hours of inactivity.

"So… Rupert how long have you been with the IM?" she asked.

"Since before you were born most likely," the British agent, answered without looking up from his book.

"What's eating you?" she asked next.

"Pardon me?"  
"Well obviously something is bugging you out, so spill," she explained.

"I don't approve of romance in the ranks," he answered after a moment's pause.

"What William and me… you think I'm boinking William Blood?" she exclaimed.

"I never that said… I merely pointed out that…"  
"Listen up and listen up good, I hate that man. He's stuck up, self righteous, undisciplined, thinks with his dick and…"  
"Everything you're not?" Willow asked with a smile as she entered the room with the dull looking professor in tow.

"Did you find a way in?" Rupert asked, seemingly unfazed by Faith's outburst.

"Yep, but we'll need some blasting done down in the sewers and we'll need somebody to wait in a boat at the outtake," Willow answered.

"What did I miss?" William asked as he came rushing in wearing a towel, holding his book in one hand and a reflective mirror in the other.

"We're going in, we'll sneak in and get the Ark out. Faith will blast a hole between the tunnels and the sewers with Elisabeth assisting her, Rupert will be waiting at the sewage outtake with a boat," Willow explained.

"What if they fire up the Ark?I mean… I really should go with you," Elisabeth said.

"Sorry Betty, but this is something you aren't trained for and if things go sour, we'll be better of with losing just two agents," Willow answered with a cold tone of professionalism in her voice.

"I'll just go and prepare some notes for you then," Elisabeth huffed and turned away.

"Good, Faith can you do a precise blast?"

"I'd have to drill into the walls, but yeah I can blast whatever size hole you need, "Faith nodded with a grin.

"Great, William please bring out some of the heavy hardware, armor piercing bullets and jackets and anything else you can think of. Rupert put the kettle on and start coming up with alternate escape routes and where we're getting a boat," Willow ordered.

"We move out at 24:00 hours."

Willow was busy checking her hardware; palmtop, Swiss Army knife, her guns the one at her hip and the other strapped around her ankle, while Elisabeth watched her go through the motions of preparing herself.

"See something you like?" Willow asked without looking up.

"Came to give you this," Elisabeth said and handed her a palmtop. "It has all the information you'll need to shut down the Ark," she explained as Willow scanned the text.

"It's in Hebrew," she said.

"Figured I'd make it hard for anybody else to read it… should it fall into the wrong hands," the professor explained with a weak smile.

"Good thinking," Willow nodded as she slipped the palmtop a special slot in her belt.

"Also… hold out your hand," Elisabeth said with a smile. Willow raised and eyebrow, but stuck out her hand with her palm turned upwards.

"This is for luck," Elisabeth said and Willow felt as a small chain pooled itself in her palm.

"The Star of David?" Willow asked. "Where did you find it?"

"A dig, you know all that 'stuff' I brought, well… I took some work with me," Elisabeth explained with a smile.

"Looks old," Willow said as she turned it over in her hand and opened the lock.

"Here let me," Elisabeth said and took the necklace and stepped behind the agent, brushing away red hair she carefully brought the necklace around a graceful pale neck and then locked it, all the time trying to avoid too much skin contact.

"I'll let you get on with… your secret agent thing," she said as she stepped back.

"Hmm, hmm," Willow nodded and barely registering when the blond left the room.

…  
Location: Vatican Walls  
Time: 24:15 Local

Huddled in the back of an unmarked van, the team went over the plan one last time.

"Ready to go sewer diving?" Faith asked Elisabeth with a grin.

"Sure, hear the silt is excellent this time of year," the blond professor answered as she tied her hair into a ponytail and then covered it with a basketball cap.

"Okay one last time," Willow said suppressing a chuckle. "Faith you and the professor stand ready to blast and be ready to lay down cover fire if need be, Rupert will take the van, dump it and then go and wait with the boat. William and I will go do the Ethan Hunt," she explained, referring to the agency term used when agents went climbing inside the ductworks of buildings. "Any questions?" she asked and looked around. "Alright then lets move out ," she said and opened the van door.

"William," Faith said and placed her hand on the elder agents arm causing to him to pause and turn.

"Good luck," she said and kissed his cheek, giving a confused look William nodded and jumped out of the van.

"You like him don't you?" Elisabeth asked as they opened the hatch in the floor of the van.

"Nah… it's mostly UST and I'm doing to piss Rupert of a bit," the specialist explained with a grin.

"UST?" Elisabeth asked.

"Unresolved sexual tension, it keeps things interesting," Faith explained as she reached down and moved the manhole grate. "Kind of like you and Red," she added as she slit down the manhole.

Outside Willow and William were already halfway up the walls, when the van sped into the night.

"Now I know this isn't a normal mission," Willow said as the looked up the wall and found her next hold.

"Why is that?" William asked.

"Faith touching you in a non-violent, non-threatening way," Willow answered with a smirk. "That's got to be sign."

"Oh shut up and get your shapely arse up here," William said as he pulled himself up onto the wall and which let onto the roof of the museum.

...


End file.
